The last paragraph of the following means that Dr. Appleton, the
amiable and indefatigable editor of the Academy, then recently
founded, had been a little disturbed in mind by some of the
contributions of his brilliant young friend, but allowed his academic
conscience to be salved by the fact of their signature.
[_Swanston, Summer 1874._]
MY DEAR COLVIN,--Am I mad? Have I lived thus long and have you known me
thus long, to no purpose? Do you imagine I could ever write an essay a
month, or promise an essay even every three months? I declare I would
rather die than enter into any such arrangement. The Essays must fall
from me, Essay by Essay, as they ripen; and all that my communication
with Seeley would effect would be to make him see more in them than mere
occasional essays; or at least _look_ far more faithfully, in which
spirit men rarely look in vain. You know both _Roads_ and my little
girls[17] are a part of the scheme which dates from early at Mentone. My
word to Seeley, therefore, would be to inform him of what I hope will
lie ultimately behind them, of how I regard them as contributions
towards a friendlier and more thoughtful way of looking about one, etc.
One other purpose of telling him would be that I should feel myself more
at liberty to write as I please, and not bound to drag in a tag about
Art every time to make it more suitable. Tying myself down to time is an
impossibility. You know my own description of myself as a person with a
poetic character and no poetic talent: just as my prose muse has all the
ways of a poetic one, and I must take my Essays as they come to me. If I
got 12 of 'em done in two years, I should be pleased. Never, please, let
yourself imagine that I am fertile; I am constipated in the brains.
Look here, Appleton dined here last night and was delightful after the
manner of our Appleton: I was none the less pleased, because I was
somewhat amused, to hear of your kind letter to him in defence of my
productions. I was amused at the tranquil dishonesty with which he told
me that I must put my name to all I write and then all will be
well.--Yours ever,